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“Exactly.” I give him a quick, hard kiss on the lips. “Don’t forget that, okay?” When I pull back, his irises are filled with emotions, but that self-loathing is gone. That’s all that matters.
There’s one other matter we need to settle. I ran into the captain and he told me Jax was still deciding, and I refuse to let him delay his career because of me. I know the dangers, I love that he cares, but if he lives his life in a bubble, he won’t really be living at all, now will he?
“You’re taking that job, Jax.”
“Is that an order?”
“Yes,” I murmur, kissing him again. “You’ve made the captain wait long enough. Take the job because you’re good at it, and most of all, because you deserve it, Jax.”
Nodding, he says, “All right, Callie. I’ll take the job.”
Beaming at him, I kiss him again, sighing when I hear people shouting up front. I break away before we get carried away. “If I had it my way, we’d leave right now, but the bar is nuts and Maura would blow a gasket.”
“I’ll be right up.” He drops the ice into the bucket and goes right back for another.
“See you out there,” I tell him with a wink, swatting his ass and smirking when he sends me a heated, warning look. I spin on my heel and hightail it for the door.
“Callie,” he calls.
Pausing, hand on the threshold, I look over my shoulder. “Yeah?”
“Thanks for believing in me.”
“I’ve always believed in you,” I say with a shrug. “I’ve just been waiting for you to realize how amazing you are.”
He smiles, the weight lifting off his shoulders as a blush crawls up his neck. Making him happy, taking care of his brothers, giving them all the love I can, that fills me with joy. He turns back to the ice, but the tension from before is gone and I can’t help feeling like I won the lottery.
Two big dudes are waiting at my end of the bar when I get back. Bree is busy helping some other tourists, so I check on them.
“Hey, what are you drinking?”
“Two lagers.” The bulkier one with a shaved head slides a hundred across the bar. “And some information if you have it.”
Wariness creeps up my spine. “I’m not sure if I’ll be any help.” I don’t take their cash, not until I know what they’re after.
“Do you know Theo Martin?”
“Why?” I scowl. “Are you reporters?”
“Reporters,” the bald one says with a laugh. “No, sweetheart, we’re not reporters. We’re looking for Theo though. You’re his girlfriend, right?”
“Ex,” I say quickly, voice firm. “Ex-girlfriend. I don’t know where he is”—a half lie—“and frankly, I want nothing to do with whatever this is. Theo’s problems are his own.”
They study me. The guy who hasn’t said a word makes me bristle, but I cross my arms and wait them out. I have no useful information for them.
Jax wraps an arm around my waist and kisses my cheek. “You okay, babe?”
I am now. The two guys trade looks, and the bald guy pushes the money toward us. “Thanks for your time.” They leave without their beers, and I don’t bother calling them back. Whatever trouble Theo is in, that’s his problem.
“What was that about?”
“Theo. They’re looking for him.”
He hums and squeezes me. “Hope they find him,” he mutters under his breath.
I extract myself from his hold with a laugh and grab the cash, tucking it in my apron. Honestly, I kind of hope those dudes find Theo too because he deserves an ass kicking. “Back to work,” I tell him as customers start to shout for our attention.
“Yes, ma’am.” Jax winks at me, and we fall back into our familiar rhythm. Soon enough, I’m too busy to worry about Penelope and those men. Concerns for another time.
